Chapter 200 - Chapter 200: Chapter 200: Enduring the Unendurable (2/2)
Mrs. Yang, still enraged, related the issue to Old Man Han, progressively convinced that her daughter-in-law was at fault: “How could this be reasonable? We, as parents, haven’t taken anything from them yet, but look at her, spending silver to treat those two people, and even bringing outsiders into our home to live. Such a family-wasting daughter-in-law could end up ruining Brother Yu’s family fortune. No, I have to talk sense into her today!”
Upon hearing this, Old Man Han was not angry; instead, he felt that the Fourth Son’s wife was not acting recklessly and must have had her reasons.
“Helping that mother and son was out of the Fourth Daughter-in-law’s kindness. Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story stupa. She did nothing wrong. Speaking of supporting parents, we’ve divided the household, and at the time of division, it was agreed that we would live with the boss, and our share was also allocated to his side. Moreover, every month, the Fourth Child and his wife give us money to provide for us in our old age. Now, it’s a bit unreasonable for you to be saying such things.”
“Regardless, she shouldn’t have brought that mother and son into our home. We already have so many servants, and she seems to think we don’t spend enough!” Mrs. Yang felt Su Wenyue was absolutely in the wrong, and Old Man Han couldn’t stop her as she made her way toward Su Wenyue’s location.
When Su Wenyue saw her mother-in-law burst angrily into her room without even knocking, showing not the slightest respect, her face also fell. She was not one of those daughters-in-law who would yield under pressure, bearing everything silently out of respect for her husband’s face. She’d put up with it once or twice, but that was not to let Mrs. Yang get carried away.
“What is the meaning of this, Mother-in-law? By barging straight in without any warning, it doesn’t matter if you scare me, but what if you frighten the child in my stomach? I thought you were very fond of the child I am carrying.”
Su Wenyue had not intended to use the child in her stomach as leverage, but given Mrs. Yang’s behavior, it was difficult for her to scold her mother-in-law, because even if she was in the right, it wouldn’t look good if word got out, especially at this sensitive moment. With outsiders keeping an eye on their household, one misstep could become gossip fodder. So she had to touch on Mrs. Yang’s sensitive spot, remembering how Mrs. Wang used the child in her stomach to defuse Mrs. Yang’s temper, even after making mistakes and yet being forgiven.
Surely enough, as soon as Su Wenyue mentioned the child in her stomach, Mrs. Yang, however furious and somewhat provoked by Su Wenyue’s tone, still managed to suppress her temper and lower her voice.
“Daughter-in-law, what is this all about? Why are you letting two outsiders live in the Han family home? Are you unaware of how hard and challenging it is for your husband in the military camp? Yet here you are, ruining the family!” Mrs. Yang tried to contain her anger, her voice not too loud but quite sharp.
“Mother, I have my reasons for allowing Aunt Feng and her son to stay. You don’t need to worry about this. I’ll speak plainly—since the Han family has already divided its households, even you, as the mother-in-law, shouldn’t interfere with our affairs. Rest assured, Husband and I will not neglect the provisions for Father and Mother. As for the rest, if you don’t understand, it’s better not to meddle,” Su Wenyue stated bluntly, her patience worn thin by the old lady’s recent actions. It was time to make it clear who the mistress of the
house was and to remind her not to overstep.
Mrs. Yang was so upset by Su Wenyue’s words that she nearly choked in fury: “Mrs. Su, don’t be too arrogant. Even if the family has divided, I’m still the Fourth child’s birth mother. I won’t stand by and watch as you squander the fortune the Fourth son has worked so hard to earn!”